Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Here is another look at the garden my grandson, Gavin, helped me plant in June. I would have to say that it is thriving, wouldn't you?


This another shot from a different angle. I think of my little guy every time I look out and see this garden. I call it Gavin's garden. When my grandson Gage was about 4 he pulled a limb on the maple tree in my front yard and broke it off. He was just being a kid and I didn't want to make a big deal about it. I didn't want him to get in trouble. I took the broken limb and I stuck it in the ground and "planted" it. It grew! I always called it the Gage tree. I had to leave it behind when we moved, but I carry the memory with me.

This is a new garden, only a few weeks ago I asked that a mound of dirt be dumped here. It was unsightly and I pondered how to mold the lumpy hard clay into something resembling a "mound". It was raining and I took a trip to the grocery and found theses lovely mums at a wonderful price. Problem solved. I stuck them into every crevice and then climbed atop the pile and sort of stomped it into the shape you now see. Cover with mulch and... voila... a garden. Two of the children in the park came by on their bikes and wondered about the mulch. They told me it looked like chewing tobacco to them.

Frogs, I love frogs. this is my new welcome sign complete with a happy frog. He is perched among my strawberry plants.


I have been a little slow and lazy so far this week. I actually slept until 9:30 this morning! I could have slid under the covers and slept the whole day away, but got up.
Last night was simply horrible here. We have a leak on one our sites. This site has a frost free hydrant and the parts are easily available. Love of my life had already made three trips to "town" for various things and couldn't find what he needed. I suggest that he make a list of all the things he can anticipate before he leaves on the first excursion, but this is not the way he operates. You would think that after 35 years I would know this.
The sky was already losing light as he left to go to a store about 50 miles away to get the part he needed. I thought I might be coming down with a cold and had been instructed to "take it easy". Other than the laundry and dishes and the occasional phone reservation I was doing that. But as soon as he left the floodgates opened and the phone rang non-stop and I had enough traffic to make it impossible to curl up on the couch with the dogs.
I was counting the minutes left to be open when the phone rang and a late comer asked me to wait for them. I did and the man was very nice and thanked me for waiting. I went through my usual speech and used a hi-liter to mark the route he should take. He left and I locked up. Love of my life was still absent. I got all settled in for another episode of House. I had been watching it all day and was beginning to think I may have something seriously wrong with me. I had my computer at the ready to look up my symptoms....when.... the phone rang.
It was the wife of the nice gentleman I had just registered. They were lost. Lost? I gave him a map. He was paying about as much attention as any other man does when being directed by a woman..... but ...... lost? She says that she thinks they took a wrong turn and they are on a deserted road with no sites and a big mound of dirt (not my new garden!). I step outside, phone in my hand, looking for the lights of their rig. The sites start on one side of the park and are sort of in a horse shoe shape. There is a turn you can take and it will lead you to a row of sites that are out of the tree line. I should be able to see them and I don't. I tell her that I will come and find them.
I am already braless at this point and I throw a sweatshirt on and shove my socked feet into my flip flops and grab the car keys........ and I get into the car that is so out of fuel that the light is on and it is making that stupid dinging noise. Now we all know that I don't put fuel in my car unless I absolutely have to ( like when I go to Minnesota to see my kids). I had alerted the one who is responsible for keeping his wife's tank full that I had already driven over 25 miles in the light-on, dinging state. It is dark and I don't relish the thought of running out of fuel and leaving my car to walk home...even in my own park.
I drive over to the unfinished area of the park and through the tree line there, thinking that they could be there, since I can't see their lights from my building. They are not there and I turn my little car around and head back to the main road. I see that my fence has been hit pretty hard... hard enough that the post is completely out of the hole, concrete and all. I finally spy their lights in the woods. I make my way cautiously to them and find that a couple of my campers (pipe liners, no less) are already helping the man back out. Tom and Hoss to the rescue!
Long story. We ate supper at 8:30. Tonight as I checked in my last camper, he was concerned that I wouldn't have change for a twenty. Welcome to my world.




10 comments:

Emptynester said...

Oh Kathy - I feel for you. That is one reason I always to with DH to check in. AND we get off the road by 2 or 3 at the most. Not good to be tired, lost, and in the dark. Glad your other campers helped get them out.

Nancy said...

So did they take out the new garden?

labbie1 said...

Gavin's garden is so great! And the solar spotlight adds to it at night too! What a talented grandson! :)

Kathy's Klothesline said...

Empty-I will be putting up more signs to direct tired campers. Only problem with that.... they don't see the ones already up!

Nancy-No, the garden is well-lit in the entrance. I was just being quirky.

labbie1-Thank you, all my grandchildren are talented!

The Good Cook said...

Good to know there are other women out there who don't considered themselves relaxed until the bra comes off! And pipeliners helped them out? Glad to hear that.

Mrs.C said...

The garden is great. And it's so nice to do something with your child or grandchild, that lasts.

Meggie said...

You live a life with no allowances for breaks, or illness. I know it well, from our hotel days.
Sounds like you have some really great campers, which can be a saving grace.
I love your gardens. Also the Gourds.

Boozy Tooth said...

Wait. You used the words "he" and "list" and "anticipate" all in the same sentence? Whoa. You're expecting a lot.

I love your gardens and your Gage Tree and Frog welcome sign. No wonder your campsite is a popular one. You obviously love what you do and make it lovely and appealing for everyone. Plus, even when you are not feeling well, you go out of your way for your guests. That really feels nice, all the way here in Florida.

Hope you're feeling better in a jiffy.

Brian Miller said...

i love the rock garden with the orange flowers. they play so well together. sticking the limb in the groundis precious, and that it grew, too cool. go find some change...lol. hope you have agreat saturday.

Mrs.C said...

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